662 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1 



out. These things always troubled and an- 

 noyed me until I devised and attached a 

 hook to the fire-pot, as shown in the accom- 

 panying' cut. This hook is made of strap- 

 iron, one inch wide and scant iV inch thick. 



It is fastened to the fire-pot with two rivets 

 at B and c. The top of the hook should be 

 two or two and a half inches befow the ori- 

 fice of the nozzle; and the end of the hook f 

 should be cut off square, and filed smooth 

 to prevent it from catching- in clothing or 

 scratching the hands. The lower part of 

 the hoDk, BC, should be shaped to fit the 

 fire-pot. 



You do not need any clockwork or com- 

 plicated machinery to blow your smoker. 

 The wind does it, and there is generally 

 wind enough for that purpose. Hang the 

 smoker on the windy side of the hive, and 

 you will have a gentle stream of smoke 

 blowing continuously across the top of the 

 frames. This keeps the bees quiet and out 

 of the way, and prevents stings on the 

 hands, these being more or less in the 

 smoke nearly all the time. I have worked 

 the whole day performing all the usual 

 spring manipulations without getting a 

 sting except when I happened to pinch a 

 bee. When it is necessary to blow down- 

 ward, just tilt the smoker a little without 

 removing it from its place. For this reason 

 the angle at a is made flaring, so that it 

 will not pinch on the edge of the hive. I 

 seldom handle the smoker from the moment 

 I open the hive and first drive the bees 

 down until I am through with my work and 

 put the cover back on the hive. 



For your new-st3'le smokers the hook 

 might be shortened and attached just be- 

 low the hinge; but the long upright part, e, 

 should be far enough from the fire-pot to 

 prevent the heat from blistering the paint 

 on the hive. Try it and be convinced, and 

 delighted. 



I have left the old hook on the bellows, 

 as it is sometimes handy in other ways, 

 but it could be dispensed with. 



Wm. Muth-Rasmussen, 



Independence, Cal., May 16. 



[I have alwaj's felt that the hook should 

 be on the front side of the smoker, but did 

 not feel like having it riveted permanently 

 to the front of the cup under the snout, as 

 it seemed to me it would bring the smoker- 

 barrel jam up against the end or side of 

 the hive, scorching it badly. As we ordi- 

 narily use the hook attached to the bellows, 

 the smoker is not hung next to the hive but 

 from a tool-box and hive-seat combined. 

 As thus used, the hook on the bellows is in 

 the right place, and does away with all 

 danger of burning or scorching the hive. 



You have bent the hook, though, as per 

 your sketch, so as to hold the smoker away 

 from the hive; but if we were to attach the 

 hook permanently to the smoker-barrel by 

 means of rivets, some would complain, as 

 they have no use for hooks of any kind — 

 even if you would pay them to use them. 

 Therefore we send a loose hook inside of 

 the fire-cup, leaving the purchaser to at- 

 tach it or not, just as he chooses. He can 

 rivet it to the front of the smoker-cup if he 

 prefers it that way. — Ed.] 



IS IT ALFALFA OR SWEET CLOVER? 



What kind of clover is this I send you? 

 Is it the genuine alfalfa? It was found 

 along the Ohio River near a little town 

 called New Matamoras, Ohio. 



Friendly, W. Va. Samp. Williamson. 



[The sample of clover has been examined. 

 In young plants it is difficult to distinguish 

 between sweet clover and alfalfa. When 

 they are in blossom, however, or have grown 

 to be of considerable size, they show quite 

 a marked diff'erence. I hardly think there 

 is any alfalfa growing wild along the road- 

 sides or riverbeds in your locality, so that 

 what 3'ou send is probably sweet clover. If 

 it has white or yellow blossoms in July or 

 August you may be satisfied it is sweet 

 clover. If the blossoms are of a deep violet, 

 then unquestionably it is alfalfa. — Ed.] 



household ammonia for removing pro- 

 polis. 



I notice Mr. Kilgore's letter, June 1, men- 

 tioning sapolio as a remover of propolis. 

 Did j'ou ever use ordinary household am- 

 monia? A dilute solution of this will re- 

 move propolis from the hands just as he 

 says sapolio does — as by magic. Very lit- 

 tle rubbing is required, the action of the 

 ammonia solution apparently being that of 

 a solvent. Try it. Charles E Frick. 



Philadelphia, June 6. 



coggshall's brood-frame with end sta- 

 ples. 

 Stapling frames is important, for, even 

 with men who move only once an hour, I 

 have yet to see one who will take out half 

 the frames of any hanging frame, without 

 killing or maiming some bees. A man could, 

 with great care and a steadj' hand, take 

 but a set in five or six minutes, possibly, 



